In the construction and related trades, particularly the construction and maintenance of roofs and similarly sloped surfaces, these situations call for the most stable and safe working conditions due to the inherently unsafe circumstances of the nature of the work. All too often, workers climbing ladders to reach a roof surface or walk on a roof for purposes of maintaining or repairing or even installing an entirely new roof, engage in activities that risk serious personal injury or possibly even death. Falling from the height of a typical residential or commercial roof or from the upper rungs of an unstable ladder is rarely a forgiving event.
Support pad or platform devices comprising a wide variety of configurations and structural components for use in working and walking under relatively stable conditions upon sloped surfaces, especially roofs, include, but are not limited to, the devices disclosed in the following:    U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,842 B2 issued to Emmons is directed to a traction pad for use in roof-related repairs of a sloped roof. The device includes a traction pad for maneuvering on a roof and contains a base layer, traction layer, at least two traction cross members and two end members. The base and traction layers are preferably rectangular in shape. The bottom side of the base layer contacts the roof with the traction layer attached to the top side, with at least two traction cross-members attached to the top side across its length. The two end members are attached adjacent the ends of the two traction cross members. A pair of lifting handles are also provided. The top side of the traction layer is typically covered with a paint containing dissolved sand to provide improved traction.    U.S. Pat. No. 8,104,575 B1 issued to Bancroft is directed to a support pad apparatus that includes a rigid platform and a load spreading conformable pad beneath that conforms to the bottom surface of the platform and may either be flat or concave along the bottom surface to engage the surface of a flat, uneven or even sloped roof. The top surface of the platform contains tapered slots along its horizontal axis, which can be used to stabilize the worker's footing. If the slots are closed with a slidable insert, the apparatus provides the person standing and working on the platform with a more stable and secure footing under a variety of different circumstances.    U.S. App. Publication No. 2003/0037990 A1 (inventor Testa) is directed to a pad providing protection, safety and stabilization to a worker on a sloped surface, which has the added benefit of protecting the sloped surface itself, such as a shingled or any other kind of roof. The pad is primarily flexible to effectively grip or attach itself to a sloped surface, and contains a multitude of indentations or footholds on the upper surface for engagement of the worker's shoes to provide stability.
The other component essential to securing a stable ladder from the ground surface to the roof and to ensure the integrity of the ladder in the process, is a device heretofore unknown in the prior art. This device maintains a constant alignment between the base of the ladder and the upper rungs that meet and lean against the edge of the roof, where the worker transitions from the ladder to the roof surface. To ensure the stability and integrity of this device on the roof or near the roof's edge, the device is typically attached to a support pad or platform such as any of those previously mentioned in this application.
A variety of so-called ladder stability devices are known in the prior art and include, but are not limited to, the following:    U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,338 B2 issued to Grover is directed to a ladder safety device for securing a ladder to a building or roof to prevent the ladder from sliding or coming loose. The device stabilizes the upper portion of the ladder, preventing the ladder from dislocating, and generally consists of a pair of brace plates, where each plate is positioned on opposing sides of each ladder rail. A pair of clamps are mounted onto the brace plates and then secured to the building. The brace plates are clamped on either side of the ladder using a through-rod inserted through one of the hollow ladder rungs.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,983 B1 issued to Widurski is directed to a ladder stabilizing device provided for removable securement to the upper ends of the spaced-apart stiles of a ladder in order to position the ladder a predetermined distance from the vertical wall surface of a building structure to allow the ladder to lean against an inside and outside corner of the structure. The structure includes a pair of ladder stabilizing support members with each supporting sport member including an elongating main body portion for spacing the ladder from the vertical wall surface.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,262 issued to Jung is directed to a ladder stabilizing device to prevent top-skidding of a ladder and provide top ladder stabilizing. The safety device includes a plurality of side safety supports that are stored in one of the ladder rungs located at the upper portion of the ladder. The side safety supports are extendable from one rung to a stabilizing extended position in which the side safety stabilizers are in contact with the vertical supporting surface when the ladder is placed against the wall supporting surface, such as a wall.    U.S. App. Publication No. 2003/0188924 A1 (inventor Bamber) is directed to a safety device for ladders that are capable of temporarily holding the top portion of a ladder securely to a building or other structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the safety device comprises an arm attached to an upper portion of a ladder and a holding mechanism. The arm has two end portions comprising a first end portion for attachment to an upper portion of a ladder and a second end portion for holding the ladder to a structure. The holding mechanism may be joined to the second end portion of the arm.    U.S. App. Publication No. 2007/0267251 A1 (inventor Poldmaa) is directed to a safety device for a ladder in the form of a support bracket attached to a ladder for securement to the roof of a house to prevent the ladder from dislodging. A bracket arrangement for removable attachment to the upper regions of the ladder is utilized for this purpose and includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart arms for adjustably rotatable attachment to the ladder. The arms extend generally away from the ladder towards a roof of a building when the ladder is used against the side of the building to gain access to the roof. The angle between the arms and the plane of the ladder is adjustable to suit varying conditions of use. The bracket has a cross-member extending between the free ends of each arm for placement against the roof of the building.    U.S. App. Publication No. 2011/0127110 A1 (inventor Trang) is directed to a safety device for straight and extension ladders for stabilizing and holding the ladders in place to ensure the user's safety while climbing and/or performing work while on the ladder. The safety device includes an upper stabilizer assembly that makes the ladder adaptable to any shaped structure or surface, a lower stabilizer assembly that makes the ladder adjustable to accommodate for uneven ground, a leveling measurement device that allows the user to quickly and easily determine if the ladder is level and angled correctly, and a storage tray that provides a storage area for tools and other items.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,665 B1 issued to DeBaca is directed to a ladder stabilizing device for attachment to a structure, such as a building, for stabilizing the upper end portion of a ladder and preventing damage to structure fascia when the ladder is leaned against the structure for support. Two stops prevent the ladder from excessive lateral movement. A support bar affixed to and extending between the stops provides support for the ladder. A mounting bracket on each stop is attached either directly to a structure surface, or to a U-shaped bracket that fits around a rain gutter. Each U-shaped bracket fits over or under the rain gutter and is attached to the structure's surface. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, two support legs bent at obtuse angles in two locations comprise an attachment portion for attaching to the roof of a structure, a ramp portion for extending beyond the roof eave and a stop portion for preventing excessive lateral movement of the ladder. A support bar is affixed to and extends between the stop portions for supporting the ladder.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,757,814 B2 issued to Pleadwell is directed to a ladder stabilizer for ladders with tubular rungs, which include a rigid stabilizer bar having a top, a bottom, a first end and a second end. A first leg extends downwardly below the bottom of the stabilizer bar at the first end and a second leg extends downwardly below the bottom of the stabilizer bar at the second end. A rung attachment bar is provided which is adapted to extend through a tubular rung of a ladder. The rung attachment bar has a first end and a second end. Means are provided to secure the rung attachment in parallel relation to the stabilizer bar.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,170 B1 issued to Gibson is directed to a ladder top made for holding tools as well as for resting against a variety of shaped surfaces, including a flat support surface, the corner of a building, a square pole, a round pole, and trees. The invention also relates to ladders that are adapted for use against and supported by such surfaces. The device comprises a cover for a ladder top that includes a top panel, a front side extending downwardly from one side of a top panel and indentation formed therein, and a belt connected to the top panel for maintaining the front side of a top panel in juxtaposition against an extrinsic surface. The indentation is generally v-shaped. A first slot is formed on one side of the indentation band a second slot is formed on the other side of the indentation. The belt extends through both the first and second slots to secure the ladder.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,630 B1 issued to Trebec is directed to a device that provides existing ladders with increased lateral stability to prevent falls and increase safety. This device is useful with conventional ladders, including folding and/or extension ladders. In the preferred embodiment of the device, a stabilization device is provided that includes an upper shaft for operative coupling to an upper end of a ladder. An elongated outer leg has upper and lower ends, and its upper end has an aperture for receiving the upper shaft in a generally horizontal position. An elongate inner leg is positioned in the outer leg and configured for telescoping extension relative to the outer leg, and means are included for maintaining the inner leg at a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the outer leg. A foot is coupled to the lower end of the inner leg for placement on a ground surface.
In all of the aforementioned patents and published applications, the devices that are disclosed are unnecessarily complicated, include an overabundance of extraneous components that likely require detailed instructions to assemble correctly or require a significant time consuming effort to install or attach properly to the roof or wall of the structure to ensure its integrity.
However, until the conception and reduction to practice of the present invention, there has never existed any device in the prior art that includes the unique structural and functional elements associated specifically with the present invention, namely the most effective, safe and reliable means for a roof worker to climb or descend a conventional ladder (fixed or extension) to transition onto and off of sloped and elevated flat roof surfaces.